A History of Thanksgiving Dinner

From the first document suggesting a celebration of the harvest in 1621, to a decades-long movement to create a national holiday in the 1800s, to today's traditional spreads across the country, Thanksgiving Dinner has a history and presence worth understanding and savoring. We'll ask and explore the questions of, Was there a "First Thanksgiving"? If so, what might have been eaten then? Why did the colonists of Plimoth and their Wampanoag neighbors come together? And why, oh, why did Sarah Josepha Hale dedicate so much of her life to establishing a national holiday, myths and traditions blending, in the 1800s? Finally, we'll take a food tour around the country. Join us for a bountiful and honest history of a deeply American tradition.

Host or Publisher Parker Hill Branch - Boston Public Library